This invention relates to the field of apparatus housings and, more particularly, to a housing access door which will be released without damage when opened beyond a detent stop.
Many types of access doors or panels have been designed for small apparatus housings. As the size of the housing becomes smaller, wall thickness decreases and it becomes more difficult to design an access door with sufficient strength to withstand the application of excessive force. In miniature electronic devices, relatively easy access is required for battery compartments, typically the only portion of the device accessed by the user or other unskilled personnel. Such devices often have housing parts molded of high impact plastic, and are extremely strong for their small size. However, when a part such as the battery access door is broken, the device is usually inoperable and must be returned to a factory service center where the housing can be replaced. When the device is a unit such as a personal pager, the user is greatly handicapped in his daily schedule when his own pager is disabled. It would therefore be high desirable to provide a housing with an access door which could withstand extreme force without either being damaged.